A two-wheeled commute

Shannon Brescher Shea wrote the cover story in this week’s Metroland about the feasbility of bicycling in the Capital Region. Most of the story is pretty pro-pedal, but it raises a serious question: how safe is commuting by bicycle?

Perceived danger appears to be the major reason why commuters choose not to cycle to work. “I think the bottom line is people don’t see themselves doing it because of the safety and that comfort factor,” says Clarke. Similarly, Jeff Pepper, the general manager of CK Cycles on Central Avenue in Albany, says, “I think every cyclist, if their commute is close enough, would ride to work. The only thing stopping them is the roads.”

This perception of danger is not unfounded. There are six ghost bike memorials in the Albany area, each white bicycle a tribute to a cyclist who was killed while riding. In 2006, 773 cyclists were killed nationally, with 45 of those fatalities in New York state. Per kilometer, cyclists are 12 times more likely to be killed than occupants of a car. On a national level, cyclists are far less safe in America than in European countries. American cyclists are twice as likely to be killed while riding than German cyclists, and three times more likely than Dutch cyclists.

Dedicated paths make the ride down the Hudson Valley (from Albany to Cohoes and Troy) reasonably easy, as well as the route from Latham to Schenectady (the region’s bike map can be found here). But how practical are rides from Saratoga County to downtown Albany, a ride that would theoretically reduce rush hour jams on the Northway? Anyone have good route suggestions?

Jimmy Vielkind

28 Responses

Latham (actually the path starts in Cohoes) to Schenectady may be “easy” and great for recreation, but it’s not a direct route, and not so great for commuting. I think rather than worrying about long distance commutes like Saratoga to Albany, a lot more can be done to improve local bicycle commutes. A major area where we are lacking is bridges. Patroon Island, Menands, Collar City– three bridges where bikes are not allowed leaving a huge gap in crossings for bicycles. And the Menands Bridge has (closed) sidewalks. A path could be built relatively easily from the Hudson River bike path alongside the 787 on-ramp. Then it’s just a matter of somehow building another connection to the path from Menands.

In most large cities, major bridges have bike paths built along side them. Why don’t we have this?

Thanks for posting a link to my article, Jimmy. I definitely appreciate it!

As for the bridge issue, another huge offender is the bridge (can’t remember the name at the moment) that crosses over the Mohawk River and becomes Balltown Road. Most of the length of Balltown Road is pretty awful, in fact. My mother, who lives in Clifton Park and is an avid cyclist, would bicycle to work in Schenectady if not for the poor condition of the shoulders and traffic there.

Also, as most cycle trips that people are willing to make are short, “around town” type of trips, it would probably be the most useful to improve the cycling within Albany itself. In particular, during the reconstruction on Central Ave., they could have vastly improved that street for cycling, but unfortunately, chose not to. If they had, people could theoretically take their bike on the bus, and then bike from the bus stop to work or run errands.

Shannon: the Rexford Bridge you referred to is slated to be replaced by DOT with an entirely new bridge within the next few years. That project is moving along slowly but steadily, and I believe they are planning on providing pedestrian access on the new span which could be used by bicyclists.

I have to agree with the comments about focusing on short bike routes vs long commutes such as Clifton Park or Saratoga to Albany. Yes, I’m sure a few dedicated cyclists would be willing to make that long roundtrip, if the weather was suitable and they didn’t have other running around to do. But realistically, that’s a tiny micropercentage of commuters in this area, especially in the winter months or days when heavy rain is expected. That will do virually nothing to releive Northway congestion.

The comparison with the European countries is questionable, IMO, because the vast majority of their towns/cities are hundreds of years old, and much more compact/dense then in this country. Many bicycle fatalities in our country occur on more rural roads which were not designed for either bikes nor the heavier volumes of traffic they now handle. It makes sense that there would be higher risk on these more open, longer routes.

I don’t let my kids ride their bikes on some busy roads where I live because of the danger factor, but there are people who do ride their bikes, and I’ve seen a bunch of close calls over the years.

Over the past two years I have asked managing authorities several times to re paint the NASCAR oval at Harriman Campus for a 3 foot cycle, foot lane. In the past six months the principal change in the area is 600-1000 vehicle parking garage on the newly christened Patroon Creek lot.

We might benefit from a bike lane on Western Avenue from the city to Guilderland, as well.

The message to all who are tempted is to forget it: the volume and speed of auto traffic and the basic native life style –a car for every MWC– make bicycles or feet obsolete and using either inconvenient and life threatening.

I am a “fair weather” bike commuter, of about four miles one way in Colonie. I would bike more, but the roads are so unfriendly to bicyclists. In the winter, there is less shoulder due to the snow banks. To the Town of Colonie’s credit, a series of meetings was held for bicyclists and town planners – but mostly resulted in excuses as to why better bike paths won’t be happening anytime soon. Several recent road improvements Wolf Rd, Central Ave.) have left broad sidewalks with curb cuts that could be used by cyclists, but that’s illegal so we’re forced out into traffic. Maybe changing that law would be a good start – leave it up to local governments as to where a cycle commuter could be on a sidewalk.

Generally I’ve found commuting to work between Latham and Guilderland via bicycle can be relatively safe, with three primary determining factors: 1) a commitment by bicyclists to personal responsibility and safety on the roads to ride safely; 2) A sense of awareness, patience and cooperation on the part of motorists, and 3) How well local governments maintain the condition of roads and demonstrate a commitmnent to making roads more bicycle friendly:

1) Taking Personal responsibility for safety: Regarding the ghost bikes see on the sides of several area roads, I believe in at least a couple cases, the fatal accidents were primarily the result of bicyclist negligence to wear a helmet or failing to merge into a lane of traffic properly.

2) A sense of awareness/cooperation on the part of motorists: In my opinion, the two most dangerous motorist demographics are men in pickup trucks/SUVs and multi-tasking soccer moms in SUVs. I’ve seen so many guys in their trucks refuse to be slowed down by a bicyclist so they will speed up justto get ahead — not caring in their testosterone-laden glory whether they’ve nearly cut off the bicyclist. Soccer moms, meanwhile, are clueless to what’s around them on the roads as they drive and multi-task with their kids in the car, on the cellphones and with their makeup in the mirror. I don’t know which group is scarier.

3) Maintaining roads, making them more bike friendly:
Local governments need to do a better job of working with road crews to patch roads more evenly and regularly. Also, police departments at car accident scenes could do a better job of making tow truck operators and others remove the glass and other remnants of accidents rather than push everything to the side of the road where bicyclists often ride.

Finally, the MOST DANGEROUS AREA I face DAILY is right after I turn west on Central Avenue from Wolf Road. There are NO lane accomodations made for bicylists where the west-bound lanes of Central Ave. converge with the Northway on & off ramps. If a ghost bike is ever erected in my memory one day, chances are it will be at this location.

I believe that infrastructure changes would increase ridership but I also believe that there is already support out there for people who show a little initiative. What I have found during my very limited experience is that motorists in the Capital District are pretty accomodating if I follow the rules of the road when I ride.

The following route was provided by an experienced cyclist in response to a similar request made while planning a National Bike to Work Day event in Albany this past May…

“I’m a member of MHCC and have ridden just about every road in the the greater capital district over the last 30 years. I’ve done the Albany to Saratoga ride a number of times and plan to do it this weekend.

When I plan a route my goal is to avoid as many places where cars and bikes would have to mix as possilbe. I try to avoid traffic circles and multilane interchanges. I am sometimes guilty of riding a bit out of my direct way to ensure a safe route. That said, there may be a pretty good route that would take you form Saratoga to downtown Albany that would miss just about all of the car oriented nastys along the way. (If you don’t already have one, I would suggest getting a copy of the “JIMAPCO Greater Captial Region 11 County Atlas” This is great tool for any cyclist wanting to plan routes in our area.)

Starting at Rt9 and Crestant Ave, head south on Rt9
Use caution at the I87 interchange at exit 13. Continue south towards Malta.
Just north of Malta, turn left onto 9P, heading to Saratoga Lake.
Follow 9P to the lake and begin the loop around the southern end of the lake. There will be a Stewarts Shop
On your right at some point, make a right turn onto Lake Road. Be ready to use your granny gears! This is also county Rt 76. You will stay on county Rt 76 all the way into Stillwater. This will be a long stretch.
In Stillwater, turn right, heading south on Rts4/32 towards Mechanicville. Follow Rts4/32 into town and near the Price Chopper, you can bear left and take North Main. Follow North Main, which will turn into South Main which will turn into Old Route 59 and eventually merge back onto Rts 4/32.
Follow 4/32 south to Waterford, another long stretch. In Waterford, follow Rt 32 to Cohoes. Follow Rt32 into Cohoes. This is not the best road-watch for trucks that are headed to Rt787. Follow Rt 32 south through Cohoes. Near the south end of the town take a left on Dyke Avenue towards Green Island. At this point you will begin to see green signs for the bike route. Follow the bike route signs through Green Island towards Watervielt. If you follow the signs, they will take you to the bike path that runs from Waterviet to the Corning Preserve in downtown Albany. The total route is about 45 miles.

I should also note that CDTA adding bike racks on all of their regular bikes has also helped make suburban-urban bike commuting more practical. Granted, that bike rack/commuting initiative is only as effective as the breadth of CDTA’s suburban route coverage, which is sorely lacking.

I’d like to second Shannon’s complaint concerning Central Ave (Route 5).
Thanks to the decision not to modify a route which is aswarm with bicycle riders of all ages (and unsafely on the sidewalks due to the terrifying nature of the road), there is one less cyclist who will have a motor-free commute on any frequent basis. Where I live along Central, this route would limit my commute to 8 miles, while possible detours would add 4 to 10 (the longest being the safest, of course). More than 8 miles each way to work takes more time than any single person has, and those who’ve seen Central from a cyclist’s perspective know why I won’t take my bike on it during rush hour. The decision not to modify this route during the mother of all energy crises was a huge step backward!

Wally: “Yes, I’m sure a few dedicated cyclists would be willing to make that long roundtrip, if the weather was suitable and they didn’t have other running around to do. But realistically, that’s a tiny micropercentage of commuters in this area”
Which area is that, anyway? If it’s the Voorheeseville-Bethlehem area, than I’m sure the percentage is zero. This, however, would not say that there are no cyclists in Voorheeseville, where an organized effort to built a rail trail connecting them to Albany fell, unfortuneately, on ears just like your own. There are people in every corner of the Capital District who would bike to work if improvements were made, unless they happen to live where there is less need. Such an example is the North-South commute from Waterford (in Saratoga County) to Albany. This is a little more than 10 flat miles. Along the way is Watervliet, where the remaining five mile can be taken from a rail trail, therefore anyone living in Watervliet can ride very safely and easily to work if their job is in Albany. I know from riding this entire route that none of it’s roads approach the hazard level of Central Ave. If you need proof that this route gets used, just go to it, and count the backpacks spinning by on two wheels. Fact is, it gets more use because it’s useable – make more of the Capital Region accessible to cyclists, and they will use it – you will see much more than a “tiny micropercentage of commuters”.

Concerning the Northway traffic – the congestion is caused by all those who use it, not just those who live in Clifton Park, and there are probably as many who commute from Latham, South Colonie, and Voorheeseville than Clifton Park, while wishing they had a decent bike route!

Wally: “The comparison with the European countries is questionable, IMO, because the vast majority of their towns/cities are hundreds of years old”
The streets of Albany are also hundreds of years old, and it’s oldest streets are known only through history and occasional exposure during the course of new construction. Since Albany has a climate much like the northern European countries, this may imply that most streets in cities everywhere a way of being silited over/built over, sinking out of existence, or just being razed for reinvention inside of 400 years. Concerning the latter: our forefathers didn’t allow historical baggage to get in the way of their future, and we can much less afford that. Conclusion: Albany has streets very similar to streets in Germany, it’s our suburban roads which set us apart – which also cause our comparative problems, which will cripple our nation if left unmitigated throughout.

I was recently in Germany, and found bicyclists concentrated in the flatter cities, like Berlin. Berlin’s streets are not narrow, (mostly rebuilt after being bombed out), and they do have bike lanes designated almost everywhere. The obvious reasons it is safer are the bike lanes and enforcement of laws protecting pedestrians and cyclists.

The narrow street observation would have had some credence in Italy, but not in Germany.

Barry- I don’t believe sidewalk riding is illegal in the Town of Colonie. In fact the only municipality I know of in this area that actually bans it is Albany. Now, I don’t think it’s safe to ride on the sidewalk in most cases, but that’s another story.

Now you know how the motorcyclist’s feel. I could ride my motorbike to work, but for the following quote from a previous poster. I tried once this year – a black SUV was tailing me so close, they forced me to pull off the road, unfortunately the pull off was a gravel driveway….you can guess the rest. Save gas with bicycles and motorbikes…yeah right, won’t happen until people take driving and the responsibility it brings more seriously and begin paying attention to the road and what’s going on around them!

“A sense of awareness/cooperation on the part of motorists: In my opinion, the two most dangerous motorist demographics are men in pickup trucks/SUVs and multi-tasking soccer moms in SUVs. I’ve seen so many guys in their trucks refuse to be slowed down by a bicyclist so they will speed up justto get ahead — not caring in their testosterone-laden glory whether they’ve nearly cut off the bicyclist. Soccer moms, meanwhile, are clueless to what’s around them on the roads as they drive and multi-task with their kids in the car, on the cellphones and with their makeup in the mirror. I don’t know which group is scarier.”

Dave – you make my point, and I agree with you that it is the more rural suburban roads that are more dangerous for bicyclists than city streets. Since our country has a huge number of these types of roads as compared with most European countries, that is the biggest reason why there are more bicycle fatalities in this country than in Europe.

And my point about longer commutes directly mentioned Clifton Park or Saratoga to Albany. I’m all for people biking to work, if that’s their choice. But my point is that if 20 or 30 people decided to bike each day from Saratoga/Clifton Park to Albany and back, that is still a teeny tiny percentage of the overall commuter volume between those areas. It certainly won’t make much difference on the Northway north of the Twin Bridges, which is where the biggest rush hour bottlenecks occur in our area.

I bicycle commute from Voorheesville to Albany – about 11 miles each way, door to door. Even though I’m of fair to poor cycling ability, I can average 17 mph on this commute, and a little slower (uphill, HOT) going home. Time, therefore, is not a factor in my decision, as the ride is only 10 to 15 minutes slower (each way) than when I drive, and 22 miles of cycling a day greatly reduces my need for additional cardiovascular exercise – an even trade off, time wise. Once in the habit of bicycle commuting, I hate to take the car.

As far as the safety factor is concerned, of course I await the trail that will, I’m sure, some day be built from downtown Voorheesville to Downtown Albany. But as many other cyclists tell me they’ve discovered, the most dangerous object out there is not a soccer mom in an SUV, or a redneck in a Pickup – it’s the fellow cyclist riding oblivious to me, cars, intersections, traffic lights, you name it. All of my closest calls, over thousands of miles of daily commutes, have been the fault of either another cyclist running a redlight at full speed, head down, or my own momentary inattentiveness – even for just a split-second – and that can be the difference between living to ride again, and being scraped off the shoulder by EMS.

What would likely help mitigate some of the Northway congestion would be for CDTA — in conjunction w/ state & local governments — to catch up to the 21st century by finally establishing full/timely bus service along the Route 9 corridor between Albany, Latham, Halfmoon and Clifton Park. Naturally, all buses would be installed with bike racks to support the expanded the use of bikes for commuting to and from work.

In response to LT’s and other comments, some of the ongoing driver awareness problems might be addressed through more frequent/prominent “shared road” signage.

I’d like to commute by bike, but going from Schenectady to Latham is quite a ride and Rt 7 is a major highway. Sure, I could use the bike path along the river, but that would be far out from where I am and need to go.
As a car driver I am always shocked by the lack of adherence of bikers to traffic rules (with many exceptions though!). Many bikers drive on the wrong side of the street. Not only does that make the differential speed higher, it also forces cars to move out of the way. If bikers would always drive on the right side of the street (means the same direction as cars go) the car driver could still drive forward at the speed of the biker and pass when it is save, not when coincidence mandates it. Also, the vast majority of bicycles has no lights, neither a head light nor a read light. The sad thing is that most bikes are sold that way. In Europe regular bikes have a dynamo that can be engaged on the front wheel and generate the electricity needed for head and rear lights. It is very simple and rarely fails (more often the wiring goes bust).
But aside from some honorable exceptions I think that the American society is hell bent on cars. If there would be even just a bit more interest in more sustainable transportation CDTA wouldn’t make people have to call every day to get to Airport Park in Latham, CDTA would have schedules that one can figure out, and run a line always along the same path. I once took the 55 from downtown Albany, but ended up at the Rotterdam Mall after going a way that the line didn’t take in the morning. But for a buck a ride I cannot complain. So the bus/bike combination looks interesting, but for someone like me who isn’t that athletic I wonder how I’d manage with coworkers and customers or better to say, they manage with me after sweating on my morning commute. I guess I need to get promoted a few more times to get an office with a shower in the bathroom…..
Finally, the quality of the roads is pretty bad. When I think how many bumps and potholes there are on Union Street in Sc’dy I would break my neck before I even reach city limits. We all can claim how great commuting by bike would be (and I did that before when I lived somewhere else), but there is just no infrastructure in place to support this. Roads are narrow, bumpy, dirty, and the sidewalks are also too narrow to be shared with pedestrians. Besides that, most of them are so badly maintained or non-existent that in most areas biking is not an option.

Horg – it is illegal to bike on the sidewalks most everywhere, including Colonie, if you are 13 years of age or younger. I know of experienced (brave) bicycle commuters who have hopped on the sidewalk on Wolf Road for a portion of their commute and who have been “pulled over” by police and ticketed. Saratoga Springs also enforces this law and posts signs on sidewalks at intersections.

Wally – sorry, but I do not agree with your suggestions that bicycle-commuting interest belongs to a tiny fringe, nor do recent bicycle sales and other statistics agree with that. When I said that Clifton Park (a large Northway town with many people who work in Albany) is not the sole contributor to Northway and I-90 congestion between Exit 9 and Route 787, that means that there are people outside this town who would benefit from bicycle-freindly projects between it and Albany. Projects would still be needed for those living in South Colonie, Troy, and the Voorheeseville/Bethlehem area, but the point is that the more we put into building safe bike routes, the more people will be encouraged to dust off their bikes and leave the car or SUV home. What does your crystal ball say about that “tiny micropercentage”? It’s clear that you may represent an interest which bears the responsibility for decisions made by the county or state, but you’re all out of credibility when you tell all with an interest in forward development that they must be fringe freaks.

Dave – (not me, see Comment 18) – I can’t disagree with you, there are many stupid bikers who make the whole group look stupid. It makes my jaw drop every time I see one of those Darwin Award contenders who ride the wrong side of the road, thinking they’re safer for “facing traffic” (this only works at walking speed, for reasons pointed out by Dave). I ride with an older 3rd grade teacher who thinks like this when she rides the road (fortuneately she does mostly trail rides), which is somewhat disturbing because she’s a teacher. It was more than 30 years ago that I was in the grade which she teaches now, and I just wish I could send her the bicycle safety film which somebody thought to run somebody thought to run in my class then. As for other rules which drivers are subject to, cyclists should not take exception to, no matter how inconvenient. There are a few states which provide full-stop excemptions for certain traffic situations, where the safety issue of lost momentum could outweigh the danger of not stopping completely, but since New York is not one of them, thet can’t expect to ride safely when they are violating rules which drivers expect them to obey while antagonizing those drivers in the process. You’ll never see the above behaviors practiced by cycle club members.

I would not object to a permitting system for riders concerning non-residential roads, which would require bicycle safety training – no one should be permitted outside of their housing development or park without this!

Wally – finally, our suburban roads do set us apart from most of those in Europe – and that is why we have the sort of congestion, spanning many miles accross the countryside, which does not exist over there. I can’t say how much I love the attitude that a system which works elsewhere won’t work here because of our existing system which no longer works for us. Obviously, we need to fix more in this country in order to build for the future, but until we do, all will suffer.

pippy- can you provide any legal reference to back that up? I have searched the codes of all the municipalities I regularly ride through (Village of Menands, Town of Colonie, City of Watervliet, City of Troy, City of North Greenbush) and State law and was not able to find anything. The only State law prohibiting sidewalk riding applies only to the City of New York. The City of Albany does have a law prohibiting sidewalk riding (but it also has a law setting an 8 mph speed limit for bicycles within the city– let’s see how well that goes over if enforced!).
If you’ve seen bikers (side note- can we please take that word back from the motorcyclists?) being ticketed in Saratoga, then it’s likely Saratoga does have a law. I don’t care to check right now. But on Wolf Road, I don’t know what statute police are using to issue tickets.

OK Dave, calm down pal. You tell me: assuming good bike trails were built, how many people would be willing to commute by bike from Clifton Park to downtown Albany every day? I know a lot of people commute on shorter runs to their workplace, but CP to Albany is a long ride that really cuts down on the number of people who would want to or are able to do it, especially in the bad weather months. As a percentage of the total commuters from Saratoga County to downtown Albany, it will be a tiny percentage on an everyday basis.

My point is strictly this: bike trails from Saratoga County to Albany won’t cut down in any important way on the rush hour congestion on the Northway in Saratoga County. I’m not saying we shouldn’t build them – I’m in favor of trails. But to say it will result in any improved traffic flow on the Northway is not realistic.

Dave – You don’t say where you work or what your schedule is, but perhaps one option to consider — if you haven’t already — would be to ride your car or bike from home to the nearest bus stop for CDTA’s # 70 bus (Route 7), putting your bike on the front rack for your ride to and from Latham. Unfortunately, this may not be feasible, depending on how far you have to go between home and the bus stop. CDTA route schedules are posted on their Web site.

If it is feasible, when you get to Latham, you just get off the bus and ride the rest of the way to work, or if you’re lucky schedule-wise, perhaps you can catch a connecting #90 or #29, depending on where you’re going. Hope this is helpful.

Installing bike racks on its regular buses is one of CDTA’s smartest decisions to date. Problem is, the limited reach of the buses affects how much those racks will be used. The more CDTA does to expand its combined bike & bus service to area commuters (by focusing on greatly improving its suburban service and not just on Rt 5 corridor upgrades), the more relevant CDTA will be to area suburban residents who are simply waiting for CDTA to offer a practical alternative to driving their cars to work.

Moderator : The first time I tried to post this entry, the text got jumbled up, thanks to the “Cut ‘n Paste” gremlin.

Wally:
The Clifton Park -to- Albany commute would be feasible for residents seeking auto alternatives if CDTA would finally address its significant suburban service gaps, including by establishing full daily service along Route 9 between Albany, Latham, Halfmoon and Clifton Park. People who want to ride their bikes between their homes and bus stops would be able to do so. The Bike & Bus option is not the entire solution, but it is part of the answer.

Wally: [I’m in favor of trails. But to say it will result in any improved traffic flow on the Northway is not realistic.]
Glad that you’re in favor of trails! Concerning the realistic potential impact of new bike trails on the Northway, you’re probably right. Eating banannas won’t make you healthy if you don’t excercise. Bike trails should be approached as part of a greater effort, such as safer traffic control devices, driver education. Yes, I am talking about solutions pertinent to routes other than the Northway, because the discussion should not be limited to that. Route 9 runs through Clifton Park and Albany, and also has the official State designation “Bikeway”, could be made still more bicycle-freindly with roundabouts. In some stretches, it does have widened shoulders to accomodate cyclists (imagine how much worse the Northway would be without this). Unfortuneately for cyclists who commute from the West of Albany, there are no such features on Central, Washington, or Western Ave, where conditions are extremely hazardous for cyclists – and then there are no trails.

i agree, I bike inspite of the dangers, but I would ride more if they made some allowances. The bike trails we have now are useless for practical riders and trips, they are indirect and don’t go to popular areas. When I lived in Latham near the Circle I saw many opportunities for some simple solutions. One, connect dead end cul de sac streets to antoher one with a path so people can use the seldom travelled side streets. Or open up shopping centers from the back especially to walkers and riders by providing access from the back to the front. For instance, Latham Farms has two dead end roads leading to the back of Wal Marts off of Route 2, yet no one had the foresight, so typical of the Capital District, to exploit them as an alternative way in. People live on the edge of large shopping centers yet they drive all the time, mainly because the pea brain developers made not one allowance for anyone but drivers.